The Seattle Sounders are hosting Austin FC on Wednesday in their first of two meetings this season. Here is everything you need to know:
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. PT at Lumen Field (TICKETS).
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be available to watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
WHERE TO LISTEN: The match will air in English on 950 KJR AM and in Spanish on El Rey 1360AM.
2023 RECORDS AND STANDINGS: Sounders: 7-3-2 (23 points, 1st West), Austin: 2-5-4 (10 points, 12th West)
FORM GUIDE (most recent first, MLS matches only): Seattle: WLDWL, Austin: LDDLD
PREVIOUS MEETING: The Sounders defeated Austin FC 3-0 in Seattle on Sept. 10, 2022. Raúl Ruidíaz recorded a first-half brace before a Ruben Gabrielsen own goal in the 68th minute iced the match.
UNBEATEN STREAK: Seattle enters Wednesday having never lost to Austin since the Texans came into MLS in 2021. The Sounders are 2-0-2 against Austin in four all-time meetings.
ROTHROCK STEPS UP: The Sounders signed 24-year-old Tacoma Defiance midfielder Paul Rothrock to a short-term agreement for last weekend’s match against the Houston Dynamo, and the Seattle native scored the match-winner in the 87th minute. Rothrock has now scored in three consecutive First Team matches after tallying a goal in each of the club’s two U.S. Open Cup matches.
KEEPING IT CLEAN: Stefan Frei recorded his league-leading seventh clean sheet of the season last weekend. The Sounders have already recorded more shutouts through 12 matches this year than they had all last MLS season.
U-20 WORLD CUP REPS: The Sounders and Austin each sent one player to represent the United States at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina starting May 20. Seattle midfielder Obed Vargas joins Austin midfielder Owen Wolff, who is the son of Austin FC Head Coach and former U.S. international Josh Wolff, on the U.S. squad.
DRIUSSI OUT: Austin FC will head to Seattle without its best player in Sebastián Driussi, who suffered a groin injury last week and is expected to miss about a month. The Argentine attacking midfielder was the MLS MVP runner-up last year after scoring 22 goals and notching seven assists.
MLS SLUMP: Despite advancing to the Round of 16 in the U.S. Open Cup, Austin is 0-4-4 in its last eight MLS matches and hasn’t won in the league since March 11.
DANCING BEAR RETURNS: Wednesday will be the first time forward Will Bruin returns to Lumen Field after he signed with Austin FC as a free agent this past offseason. Bruin scored 27 regular season goals from 2017-22 and left Seattle as the club’s ninth all-time leading goalscorer. He helped the Sounders win 2019 MLS Cup and the 2022 Concacaf Champions League.
